Cotton picker



Feb. 18. 1930. H, N, BERRY 1,747,566

COTTON PICKER Original Filed May 28. 1924 8 Sheets-Sheet l lsgl: 'WIJ H.N. BERRY COTTON PICKE R Feb. 18, 1930.

Original Filed May 28, 1924 8 Sheets-Sheet INVENTOR WITNESSES ATTORNEYSFeb. 18, 1930. H N, BERRY 1347,'566

COTTON PICKER original Filed May 28, 1924 e sheets-sheet 3 WITNESSES INVEN TOR ATTORNEYS FebflS, 1930. H. N. BERRY 1,747,556

COTTON PICKER Original Filed May 28. 1924 8 Sheets-Sheet 4 Il!" l hm IN#M50/3f. BY M f@ adv i n h A TTORNE YS hsv .ne @W4 n E SES Feb. 18,1930. H N, BERRY l 1,747,566

COTTON PICKER Original Filed May 28, 1924 8 Sheets-Sheet 5 WITNESSES KgIN VEN TOR BJwm 96,

A TTOR NE YS H. N. BERRY COTTON PICKER Feb. 18, 1930.

Original Filed May 28, 1924 .8 Sheets-Sheet 6 /INVENTOR I .il/lel'ly.

y A TTORNE YS H. N. BERRY Feb. 18, 1930.

COTTON PICKER Original Filed May 28, 1924 3 Sheets sheet 7 IN VEN TORWITNESSES A ATTORNEYS Feb. 18, 1930. N BERRY 1,747,566

COTTON PICKER Original vF'ilel May 28, 1924 8 Sheets-Sheetl 8 IN VEN TOR/3/ mee/yy.

BY W

A TTORNE YS PatentedV Feb. 18, 1930 UNITED sTATEs PATENT OFFICE HmmNEWTON BERRY, Ol' GREENVILLE, MISSISSIPPI,

TO COTTON HARVESTER CORPORATION OF AMERICA, OF

IESN E ASSIGNMENTS,

AssIeNoR, BY DIRECT ANn r"IiEEN'VIIiLE MISSISSIPPI, A CORPORATION OFDELAWARE COTTON PICKER Continuation of application Serial No. 716,456,led May 28, 1934. This application tiled. Augult a, 1925. Serial No.47,917.

The present invention relates generally to cotton pickers, and thepresent appllcatlon is more particularly a continuation of myapplication Serial Number 716,456, filed May 28, 1924, the inventionconsisting of a cotton picker, wherein the princifpal or active ele- ZIJments are in the nature o laterally lspaced cylinders mounted on a frameand revolved on vertical axes by movement of said frame,

each cylinder having a series of radially outstanding picking lingersrevolving as a series therewith, and independently rotated on their ownaxes by connections which impart to the picking fingers speedy rotationin one direction during the picking operation for the purpose ofextracting the cotton from the bolls and wrapping the same around thefingers, and then-reversal of such rotation so that during the reverserotation the picked cotton may be removed from the fingers.

A cotton picker of this type has many important outstanding advantagesover the various other known types, among which advantages particularmention may be made of A its adaptability to pick cotton in a thorougheflicient manner and in cleanly condition without injury to the cottonto its adaptability to pick cotton in a cleanly condition, the crop whenpicked will command a better price and in view of its ability to pickcotton without injury to the plants, it is obvious that unripe cottonwill not be injured and may subsequently mature for removal.

A further advantage of the above type of cotton picking apparatus liesin its speed lof action and the great amount of hard labor its use willavoid, although exhaustive tests have plainly indicated certaindisadvantages in respect to its operation, many due to the pickingfingers. It has for instance been necessary up to the present time atleast to roughen the picking fingers in order to properly take thecotton out of the bolls and it is obvious that anything in the nature ofa roughened surface, while of advantage during the picking of the cottonto cause the same t0 adhere to and wrap around the fingers, operates tothe disadvantage of the apparatus later plants. Owing'y in that it makesthe stripping of the cotton from the fingers correspondingly diiiicult.

Among the various objects of the present invention is the provision ofmeans whereby picking fingers having smooth surfaces are renderedcapable of peculiarly effective opertion in the picking of the cottonwhile at the same time adapting the fingers to ready and easy strippingof the cotton therefrom subsequent to the picking operation. Theinvention also proposes many improvements and advantages overprevious-constructions, not only as to the picking fingers, but in ageneral Way to the cylinder structure, finger reversing means, fingerstripping mechanism, and other parts, all such improvements being theresult ofexhaustive tests and practical experiments in the actualconstruction and use of apparatus of this character.

As to the cylinder construction, the present invention proposes` certainimprovements whereby the cylinders may be formed in longitudinalsections held together by top and .bottom plates in such manner as topermit of their ready disassembly in a manner substantially quicker andmorev effective than could be otherwise accomplished.

As to the finger stripping, the present invention proposes the use ofcam actuated stripping bars, each operating in connection with avertical line of picking fingersand having openings through which thelingers project so that upon outward movement of these bars along thefingers during the reverse rotation of the latter, the cotton previouslyfpicked and wrapped around the fingers, will be pushed from the ends ofthe fingers at a certain point in the rotation 'ofthe cylinders whereitis convenient to pick up the stripped cotton by suction connectionsandtransfer the same to storage compartments on the machine.

As to the reversing of the direction of rotation of the fingers betweenthe picking of the cotton and the stripping thereof from the fingers,the present invention proposes the use of means which will impart speedyrotation to the fingers when reversed and which will thus cooperate tomaterial extent l in promoting eiiicient stripping of the cotton of oneof the shield sections with its suction 4the .will be instantly wrappedaround `the nger from the fingers.4

The picking fingers themselves, according to the present invention areemployed with smooth surfaces and, vsubsequent to each strippingoperation and the next succeeding picking operation, each finger issupplied with moisture which has `leen and is even more effect-ive forproperly picking cotton than a roughened surface and is many times 'moreeffective than. a roughened surface when `it comes to taking the cottonoli' of the fin er.

or stripping the same. In explanation of t is it s hou d be pointedk outthat the main confar as thev actual picking of the cotton from the bollsis concerned is that y.the icking finger will be in such position thatleast particle of cotton touching the same lso that the speedy rotationof the finger will u haveV the effect of snapping the cotton comlsopletely out ofthe boll. .I havefound that while a smooth dryl fingerwill not do this, vthe same finger su plied with moisture as .forinstance a sur ace film of `oil -instantly be.- comes asy highlyeffective and efficient forv this ose as could be wished. f aving thusdescribed in a general way the objects and advantages of the presentinvention, the detail description of the various parts will now beproceeded with having reference tothe accompanying drawings which formapart of this specification .and where- 1n, y i

y Figure 1 is a perspective view, more or less dia rammatic, of thegeneral machine.

, Fgigure 2 is a partial top plan view thereof. Figure 3 is van enlargedtop plan view of one of the ycylinders and the adjacent parts. Figure 4is avertical longitudinal section taken substantially on line 4-4 ofFigure 3,

Figure 5 is a horizontal section'taken substantially online 5-5 ofFigure 4, Y.

Figure 6 is`a perspective view of one of the cylinders `showing itsparts in semi-detached relation and vcertain adjacent parts includinthefinger moistening arrangement.

igure 7 is a perspective viewof one of the wall sections of thecylinders, p

Figure 8 is a detail perspective view showint e oil pump and oildistributing means, igure 9 is a section through a portion `of the wallof one of the c the bearing portion o fin ers,

igure linders and through lone of the picking 10 isa perspectivey viewof one of the fingers and-its holderremoved and in de- ;tached relation,

Fi re 11 is 'a perspective view showing 'certam of the finger strippingbars and their guides,

Figure one of the stripping scale, Figure v13 12 is a detail perspectivev iew of bars on an 'enlarged is a sectional perspective view channel, n

Figure 14 is a vertical section through a portion of the fingermoistening device, and

Fi ure 15 isa sectional perspective view showing a portion of `one ofthe finger moistenin tubes. l

Re erring now to these figures and particularly to Figure 1 thereareshown certain portions of a machine whose frame may include uperspacedparallel'frame bars 20 as seen in igures 2, 3 and 4 and omittedfrom Figure 1 in lorder to avoid obscuring the securing parts. Theframe, however constructed, must be elevated in order to permit ofstradclling a row of cotton plants, the machine tracking uponforwardvand ,rearwheels 21 and 22 of which the former aresteered from asteering wheel 23 and asteering post 24. This post has a worm and'wormwheel connectionat 25 with a rock shaft 26k whose crank 27 is flexiblyconnected to the rear end of a steering arm 28, the lforward end ofwhich is flexibly connected to the crank arm 29 `of one of the. uprightwheel supporting shafts 30. These shafts are in connection at theirupper ends by means of a tie rod 31 and their lower ends suitablysupport, the spinf dles of the front wheels 21. y

The rearwheels22 are geared to the lower ends of upright shaftsi32andthese upright shafts are lgeared atv their upper ends to the outer endsof a rear uppercross shaft 33 having at its center a differential 34connecting thesame with the rear end of a propeller shaft 35." Thispropeller shaft proceeds rearwardlyfrom the transmission l36 to which adrive shaft 37 extends rearwardly from the motor'38. Drive shaft 37 hasa worm and worm wheel connection at 39 with an intermediate upper crossshaft 4() whose endssupport pulleys 41 and driving belts 42 whichactuate the shafts 43 of blowers 44, the latter discharging rearwardlythrough outlet pipes 45 which open into the tops of vertically disposedmesh cotton storage receptacles 46.

, The storage receptacles 46 are detachably supported within receptacleholding brackets 47 mountedupon the ends of a rear cross frame 48 whichin practice is securedtothe rear portion of thev main frame of themachine, brackets 47 having inclined notches or -recesses which receivepins 49outstanding from the cotton receptacles 46 soithat the latter maybe thus easily and quickly inserted in `and removed from effectiveposition.

The propeller shaft 35 has a worm and Worm wheel connection at 50intermediate its ends with a crossshaft 51 and this shaft is geared atitends with lthe vertical shaft '52 of side drive' pulleys 53 and isalso geared adjacent to said ends as at 54 with the rear ends oflongitudinal side shafts 55. The'shafts 55 are geared at their forwardends to the 'lov standing picking l'lngers 57, the cylinders beingyalike so that a description of the cylinder shown in detail in Figures 3and 7 inclusive will sullice for both. Each cylinder is made up of aseries of vertical sections 58 one of which is shown in Figure 7, havingribs 59 along their upper and lower edges to cooperate with theannularly grooved top and bottom plates 60 and 61 most plainly seen inFigures 3 and 6, said top and bottom plates having central openingsaround an upright cylinder supporting post 62 and having antifrictionbearings 63 which engage the post. The post 62 of each cylinder has asquared upper end 64 secured in the respective upper frame bar 20, thelower end of the post being fixed at 65 in the lower bar 66 of acylinder supporting frame having upright end ortions 67 and alsoinclined end portions 68 both the upright and inclined end portionsbeing secured at their upper ends to the frame side bars 20.

Thus the several curved cylinder sections 58 when together form the wallof the cylinder between the top and bottom plates 60 and 61, the rib andgroove engagement between these parts providing for a fluid tightenclosure which is completed by virtue of vertical tie bolts 69 betweenand through the top and bottom plates, the top and bottom plates havingbearings for an annular series of vertical shafts 7 0 provided at spacedpoints within the cylinder with bevel gears 71. At the upper ends of theshaft 70 above the top plate 60 are secured pulleys 72 and these pulleysform parts of the driving connections of the picking lingers in a mannerwhich will be presently described.

The cylinder sections 58 have bosses 73 in vertical lines outstandingtherefrom forming bearings for the sleeve portions 74 of the holders ofthe picking lingers, each sleeve portion 74 having at its inner endwithin the cylinder a spur gear 75, it being noted from, F igure 7 inparticular that the arrangement is such that the gears 75 intermesh inseries of three within and around the cylinder, the central gear 75 ofeach series also having a bevel gear 76 which meshes with one of thebevel gears 71 of one of the vertical shafts 70 thus making it necessaryto have but one vertical shaft 70 for every three vertical lines ofpicking fingers. The sleeve' portion 74 of each of the picking fingerholders has its outer portion axially bored to receive thg inner largerend of its respective picking linger 57, and is also provided withdiametrically opposed slots 77 which receive diametrically outstandinglugs 78 of the picking Enger. Moreover each holder sleeve has its outerend externally threaded as at' 79 to receive a counterbored cap nut 8.0which surrounds the inner portion of the p1ck1ng finger and serves tohold the lugs 78 within slots 77. It is to be-'particularly noted atthis point that each of the picking fingers gradually tapers to itsouter smaller end and that its surface is entirely smooth from andbeyond the lugs 78.

Each cylinder has an inner cylindrical wall 81 whose upper and lowerends cooperate with the top and bottom plates 60 and 61 to form an inneroil chamber in the base of which a pump 82 is located, the shaft of thispump having a small gear 83 in mesh with a larger gear 84 secured uponthe lower portion of the cylinder supporting post 62 whereby thecylinder revo ves. The pump discharges hollow distributing ring 86, thisring having a series of radially outstanding distributing tubes 87 whoseouter ends terminate above the several lines of gears 71 adjacent to theupperv ends of the upright shaft 70 whereby the oil dripping from thedistributing tubes 87 will be distributed by the gears 71 to the gears75 and 76 of the linger holders.

gers 88 receiving slidably thereon a vertical apertured stripping bar 89having at its upper and lower ends guide rollers 90 movably disposed inupper and lower cam tracks 91 and 92. The upper cam track is secured inplace by att-aching arms 93 and disposed around the upper portion ofthecylinder below the several shaft pulleys 72 while the lower cam track 92is securely fastened to the lower bar 66 of the cylinder supportingframe before mentioned, the cam tracks bcingso shaped as best seen inFigures 3 and 5, as to hold the several stripping bars at their innerpositions adjacent to the inner ends of the picking lingers around theinner portion of the periphery of the cylinder and gradually shift thebars outwardly to the outer ends ofthe pickinglingers at a certain pointalong the outer periphery ofthe cylinder.

The pulleys 72 at the upper ends of thevertical shaft 70 are engagedalong the inner periphery of each cylinder by a portion of a lingerdriving belt 94 passing at one point around a tension roller 95 securedat the end of a supporting arm 96 having an actuating spring 97 and apivotal support upon one of the frame bars 20 and passing at anotherpoint around its drive pulley 53 previously described, it being thusobvious that in the course of rotation of the cylinders the pulleys 72will successively come into engagement with a portion of the drivingbelt 94 ump will be actuated as the loo at the inner periphe of thecylinder so that when engaged with t e belt the shafts will be rotatedin one direction and this rotation will be communicated to the pickingfingersthrough the gears 71, 'vand 76. H

The forward ends of the side shafts 55 yhave gears 55L engaging'cylindergears 60 secured to the cylinder to top plates 60.*and thus,lit beingunderstood that the cylinders are revolved at a speed -to conform to theforward movement of the machine in operation, it is obvious that thepicking yfingers at the inner portions of the cylinders where -theyextend into the row of plants, will have little ifany effect on theplants except byvirtue versing' belt 98 passes around the belt drivepulley 53 within the finger driving belt 94.

It is thus obvious that -when the'pulleys 72 engage the reversing belt98 the direction -of rotation ofthe picking fingers 57 will be reversedand this takes place, it will be noted y from Figure 3 Vin particular,at a time when due to the shape of thecam tracks 91 and 92 therespective strip ing bars`89 are being shifted outwardly a ongthereversed strippingngers. sov thatv the two features `thus cooperatetothrust the cotton off of the stripping fingers this action beinggreatlyfacilitated according to my .present construction by virtue ofthe fact that the pickingy fingers .have smoothv surfaces.l It is alsoobvious that'by reversingthe rotation of the picking fingers against amoving belt 98, considerable s eed may be thus imparted to the fingersin t eir reversey rotation andit is also obvious that by 'arranging thereversing belt within the main driving belt 94 ofthe picking fingers, noadditional driving connectionsare required.

Around the outerportionof the-periphery l of each of the pickingcylinders, beyond the ends of the picking fingers 57 thereof, areshields each consisting of a forward section /103 and a rearsection 104,the former secured at its forward end to theforward upright 67 of thecylinder supporting frame, and the latter secured at its rear end to therear upright 67 of saidframe. These shield sections are joined at theirmeeting ends and the forward portion of the rear section 104 is bent toprovide an upright tubular cotton receiver 105 having inwardlyprojecting vertically spaced lips 106 as plainly seenin Figures 3 and 13which proj-ect horizontally between the vends. of the pickingA etweentwo guide rollers 99,l

.of theirdesired functions.A y

fingers, each tubular cotton ceiver 105 being disposed oppositethe poinof farthest.

outward movement ofthe stripping` bars 89 and being connected at'itslower end .toa laterally outstanding brace arm 107 and at its upper endto the respective suction tube 108 of the respectivey blower 44 whichthus operates to p'ull the cotton as-it is stripped vfrom the pickingfingers into the receiver 105 and through the suction tube 108, and alsoto discharge the cotton through the discharge pipe 45 into the storageholder 46. g

fAs regardsthe pic ing fingers themselves and in explanation of themannerr in which it is enabled to accomplish the. desired `pickingoperation with a smooth picking finger, it has been discovered that ifmoistened wlth oil, grease'andprobably various lother fluids of alike ormore tackynat-ure, the cotton may bepicked equally as effective as ifthe surfaces of the picking fingers were burred or otherwise roughenedand it has also been found that unlike the burred or roughened surfacewhich prevents easy stripping of the cotton from the fingers, theapplicationof oil, grease ora .similar fluid .to a smooth surface,permits of easilyv stripping the cotton from the fingers without detracting in vany way from the appearance or the condition'of thecotton, providing of course the moisture is properly applied without any,oversupply Therefore during the operation of the machine moisture iscontinuously supplied to the pickingfingers during each revolution ofthe cylinder so that the picking fingers will in each operation thereofhave a fresh supply 1 of moisture for the effective accomplishment ,Forthe above purpose a mostening device is preferably employed inconnection. with each cylinder, including an upright tubek 109 lfixedlin the forward portion of thecylinder supporting` frame adjacent to theforward upright 67. This. tube supports a supply tank 110 at its upperend, having a filling aperture normally closed by a `cap 111 and fromwhich a supply pipe 112 shown in part in Figure 14 depends t ,roughv thetubev 109. The tube 109 has va .plurality of tubular horizontallyoutstanding moisture lapplying arms 113, each slotted along the lowerportion thereof for the reception of a flexible wiper ;114 of absorbentmaterial. These applying arms 113 extend tangentially .with respect tothe cylinder between the horizontal.' rows of picking fingers 571sothat. each wiper 114 -depends into engagement with and receivesthereagainst considerable portions of the picking fingers of thehorizontal series next below the same. Each lapplying arm yis supl pliedwith the lmoisture from the moisture supply pipe 112 by virtue of shortdistrib.

uting pipes 115 extending horizontally from 'pipe 112 and into arms 113and .terminating at their free ends immediately above the adjacentportbns of the wipers 114.

Thus in the operation of the machine it is driven forwardly in use bythe same means transmitting rotation to the picking c linders so thatthe forward movement o the machine and lthe revolution of the pickingcylinders is thus synchronized andproportioned whereby in]ury to thecotton plants by virtue of the movement of the multitude of the pickingfingers into and through the plants, is. avoided. Along theinnerportions of the peripheries of the picking cylinders and during the timein which the picking fingers are moving into and through the plants,these picking lingers, with their smooth surfaces previously suppliedwith moisture, are rapidly rotated on their own axes by virtue of theengagement of their driving shaft pulleys 72 with the effective portionof the main driving belt 94 and here again the smoothsurfaces of thelingers are of great advantage in avoiding possible injury to the cottonplants which might result from the engagement of burred or otherwiseroughened fingers with the leaves or` stems "of the plants or moreespecially with unopened or immature bolls.

Wherever these rapidly rotating moistened picking fingers come intocontact with mature cotton, the cotton is instantly whisked around thefingers andA completely out of the boll, any foreign matter being at thesame time thrown ofi' by centrifugal force. When thus wrapped around thepicking fingers the cotton is carried with the latter until the fingersare reversed by virtue of the engagement of their shaft pulleys 72 withthe reversing belt 98 Where the rapid reverse rotation of the fingershas a tendency to slightly loosen the cotton previously wrapped thereonin order that the outward movement of the stripping bars will find thecotton in such a condition that it may be readily` pushed into theinfluence of the suction rWithin the cotton Ireceivers and by virtue ofthe continuous action of the blowers drawn from the receivers and forcedintov the cotton receptacles at the rear side portions of the machine.

As the machine progresses in the field and these cotton receptaclesbecome filled, they may be removed and others quickly substitutedwithout danger of the cotton becoming dirty or otherwise contaminated.

Itis for the foregoing reasons that this improved machine has been foundto be highly effective and efficient for the intended purposes, is of asimple inexpensive nature when its results are taken into consideration,is mechanically strong and durable with reasonable care, and may beoperated with minimum labor and without especial skill in itsmanipulation. It is also for the foregoing reasons from the outer endsof the picking fingers that this machine will result inthe picking ofcotton in a clean condition and in a thorough manner, enabling thecotton grower to harvest the complete crop in minimum time and withminimum labor and to subsequently obtain the maximum price to which heis entitled for the cotton so picked.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of theinvention and in what manner the same is to be performed, what I claimis: y

1. In a cotton picker, vertically disposed revoluble picker cylinders,driving means therefor, rotatable picker fingers supported by andradiating from said c linders, an annular series of vertical sha srotatable in the cylinders and geared to the said picker fingers, saidshafts having pulleys at their upper ends, means for rotating the pickerfingers including a belt with which the pulleys of said shaftssuccessively engage, during revolution of the cylinders, and means alsoincludin a belt with which the pulleys of the sha ts are successivelyengageable for reversing theV rotation. of the picker fingers.

2. In a cotton picker, vertically disposed revoluble picker cylindersdriving means therefor, j,rotatable picker lingers supported by andradiating from said cylinders, an annular series of vertical shaftsrotatable in the cylinders and geared to the said picker fingers, saidshafts having pulleys at their upper ends, means for rotatingfthe pickeriingers including a belt with which the pulleys of said shaftssuccessively engage during revolution of the cylinders and means alsoincluding a belt with which the pulleys of the shafts are successivelyengageable for reversing the rotation of the picker fingers, said beltsbeing mounted one within the other and having a common driving source.

3. In a cotton picker, vertically disposed revoluble picker cylinders,driving means therefor, rotatable picker fingers supported by andradiating from said cylinders, an annular series of vertical'shaftswithin each of the cylinders, geared to the said picker fingers and,having their upper ends provided with pulleys and connections forrotating the picker fingers including belts mounted one within the otherand successively engageable by said shaft pulleys to rotate the shaftsin successively opposite directions.

4. In a cotton picker, vertically disposed revoluble picker cylinders,driving means therefor, rotatable picker fingers supported by andradiating from said4 cylinders, an annular series of vertical shaftswithin each of the cylinders, geared to the said picker fingers andhaving upstanding upper ends provided with pulleys and connections forrotatc said belts having tension conn e 'ons' and' a common drivingsource. s

5. In a cotton picker,'vertically disposed revoluble picker cylinders,-`picker fingers rotatablysupported bythe cylinders and radiatingtherefrom lin kvertical lines, driving means for said cylinders and saidfingers, cam guides stationarily secured above and below each of saidcylinders, and strip ing bars movably -supported by the-said i es forrevoluble movement with the cy inders, leach of said bars havingapertures receivin the picker fin ers of a vertical series thereo and1being sli able on these fingers towardl and.' away from the cylinder bythe said cam gu1des durinlg revolution of the cylinders.

a cotton picker, vertically disposed revoluble picker cylinders, pickerfingers rotatably supported by the cylinders and radi- `2o atingtherefrom in vertical lines, driving means for said cylinders and saidfingers, cam

guides stationarily secured above and below each of said cylinders, andstripping bars movably supported by the said guides for revolublemovement with the cylinders, each.-

of said bars having apertures receivin the picker fingers of `a verticalseries thereo and f being shiftable on these fingers toward andl awayfrom the cylinder by the said cam guides during revolutionyof thecylinders, each of said c'am guides being in the form of a groovedtrack, and each ofsaid stripping bars having rollers at its upper andlower ends freely movable in the said tracks. f

7. In a cotton'picker, vertically disposedrevoluble picker cylinders,picker fingers rotatably supported by the cylinders and radiatingtherefrom in vertical lines, driving means for said cylinders andfingers, cam guide stationarily secured abovel and below each of saidcylinders, and stripping bars movably supported by the said guides forrevoluble movement. with the cylinders, each of said bars havingapertures receiving the picker fingersv of a vertical series thereof andbeing shiftable on these fingers toward and away from the cylinders bythe said cam guides during revolution of the cylinders, each of saidcylinders having top and bottom plates provided with relativelystationary radially outstanding guide fingers in line/with the verticalseries of picker fingers and also extending through the said-strippingbars whereby to guide the latter and relieve lateral strain upon thepicker fingers.

8. Ina cotton picker, vertically disposed revoluble picker cylinders,picker fingers rotatably supported by and radiating from the saidcylinders and -disposed in vertical lines," means for driving saidcylinders and fingers, a stripping bar for each of the vertical lines ofpicker fingers, having apertures through which the' picker fingersextend, and meansv whereby to shift the said stripping bars lengthwiseof the picker fingers and toward tatably supported tion` of the latterland means carried' by the picker cylinder forguiding thefsaid strippingbars and avoiding lateral pressure thereof against the picker' fingers.f -1 9. In a` cotton picker, vertically disposed revoluble picker'cylinders, picker fingers robl and radiating from the said cylinders and'sposed' in vertical -lines, means for driving said cylinders and finers, a strippin bar foreach of the vertical fines of picker ngers,having apertures through which the picker fingers extend, and meanswhereby to :shift the said'j stripping bars lengthwise of the pickerfingers and toward and away from the cylinders during rotation of thelatter, and meansv carried by the picker cylinders for guiding the saidstripping' bars and avoidin lateral pressure thereof against the pickerngers, Said last named means consisting of rigid guide ngers radiatingfrom the upper and lower portions of the cylinders in line with thepicker fingers and upon which theupper and lower portions of the saidstripping bars are movably disposed. 10. In a cotton picker includingvertically disposed revoluble picking cylinders in lat-` erally spacedrelation, an annular series of vertical shafts rotatable in andprojecting above each of said cylinders, picking fingers radiating fromthe cylinders and rotatabl arranged in series of vertical rows for'eacof said vertical shafts, gearing connecting each vertical shaft and itsseries of rows of picking fingers, means for revolving the cylinders,and means for rotatingthe picking fingers including pulleys on the upperends of said shafts and belts having portions mov` able at the nearsides of the cylinders and into and out of engagement with which thesaid pulleys are movable during revolution of the cylinders.

ll. Ina cotton picker including vertically disposed revoluble pickingcylinders in laterally spaced relation, an annular series of verticalshafts rotatable in and projecting above each of said cylinders, pickingfingers radiating from the cylinders and rotatably arranged in series ofvertical rows for each of said vertical shafts, gearing connecting eachvertical shaft and its series of rows of picking fingers, means forrevolving the cylinders, and means for rotating the picking fingersincluding pulleys on the upper ends of said shafts, guide pulleysarranged forwardly and rearwardly of the cylinders, and belts havingportions movable around said guide pulleys and between the same at thenear sides of the cylinders and into and out of engagement with whichportions of the belts the said pulleys are movable during revolution ofthe cylinders. v l

HIRAM NEWTON BERRY.

